Dish Dwingeloo radio telescope back on tower

This Monday 19 November, the company Wagenborg Nedlift from Groningen will put the dish of the Dwingeloo telescope back onto its tower. Since June 5th of this year, the 38 ton weighing dish, with a diameter of 25 meters, was placed on a special contstruction to be restored.

In the past months all steel parts of the telescope have been sandblasted and repainted. Where necessary parts have been replaced. All 372 triangular gauze windows of the dish have been inspected, cleaned and connected to 211 renewed bolts in the shape of pedestals. The parabolic dish, with 12 meters to the focus, is back into its original state with a 2 mm accuracy. To be able to move the dish accurately vertically, the gear casings on top of the tower and the bearings of the elevation axis have been completely revised. The control room and the machine room have also been restored. Holstein Restauratie Architectuur from Groningen is responsible for the restoration and supervises all activities.

As soon as the radio telescope has been handed over back to ASTRON, volunteers of the foundation CAMRAS can start refurnish the telescope with equipment and cables and perform test measurements. Around the summer of 2013, the volunteers will be able to use the telescope again for activities for the public and students.

The contractors Multipaint and Oving Special Products expect to lift the dish on Monday 19 Nov. at 11 a.m. However, in case of bad weather, the activities may have to be postponed.

About the Dwingeloo radio telescopeThe Dwingeloo radio telescope, at the time of building the largest in the world, was opened by Queen Juliana in 1956. The telescope observed the countours of our Milky Way and discovered the galaxies Dwingeloo I and II. Since 2009, the telescope has been appointed as official monument.